Resource Management and Planning

Cave and karst resource management and planning activities require ready access to information, and tools to retrieve and display information efficiently and effectively. In addition, information from a variety of other sources must be easy to aggregate and compile into a common system that enables management and planning activities.

ArcGIS provides all these tools, and delivers analysis and modeling capabilities that are required to understand the impacts of both planned and unplanned events. These capabilities enable managers, planners, and decision makers to develop effective resource management strategies and programs and assess their impacts and effectiveness.

The screenshot above shows how GIS was used to assess the level of protection afforded by existing cave management plans and to evaluate changes and alternatives. Speleothems, habitats for cave-adapted species, and paleontological features were considered in the study. GIS spatial analysis provided valuable information and statistical data on the effectiveness of various plans to protect features. Courtesy: Cave Resources, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.